Degas, Renoir, Rodin, Manet – from merely reading their names, dreamy mental imagery of tip-toeing through the impressive Musée d’Orsay on Paris’ left bank, gazing at the romantic works from the artists of the Belle Époque, begins to form. more

Remember pen pals? Remember writing letters to friends who had moved away, students in foreign lands and relatives at Christmas? Composing a recent tale on paper in slow, precise cursive was once the only possible form of communication. more

The arrival of the first child, for most young parents, signals the greatest life-changing experience they have encountered to date. French director Rémi Bezançon captures the adventures, challenges and heartbreaks of first-time parenthood in his film, A Happy Event (Un heureux événement). more

Are you dizzily fond of the fashions of yesteryear? Or maybe you have a penchant for Pan Am or see a little Don Draper in yourself? Whether it’s the style or elegance of attitude you’re chasing, it seems adding a teaspoon of vintage sweetness to modern life is here to stay. more

Do you dress up on weekends in a Breton-striped tee and red beret, hopping from one patisserie to the next, eating croissants and baguettes with brie? Or maybe while away evenings with a little Edith Piaf on the record player, sinking blissfully into dreamy scenes of couples dancing down the magical streets of Paris as the Eiffel Tower twinkles with its hourly show? more

Many great writers find inspiration for their works within their own lives and the people that surround them, twisting and stretching the truth into poetic fiction. Though when Edgar Allen Poe wrote The Raven in January 1845, he had not yet lost his wife, but the death of a beautiful woman was a frequent theme among his prose. more

When Karen Zavadil was little, she used to love dressing up in her mother’s hand-tailored outfits made from beautiful fabrics. It was the cool, smooth silks and delicately embroidered beading that initiated her dive into the vintage scene. more